Unexpected Romance
by Mindless Destruction
Summary: Sasuke decides to teach Hinata how to capture Naruto's heart, but will it work, or will Hinata fall for a certain someone else?


**I don't own Naruto. I own Sasuke. And I think Hinata is way cuter than Sakura. And I know that this is totally pointless, but I'm listening to 'Hanabi' by Ikimono Gakari. It's the fourth ending theme for Bleach. If anyone knows where I can get the WMV (my MP3 is dumb and doesn't play anything else) for it or the opening 'Tonight Tonight Tonight' WMV, I would be so happy if you could tell me. I love when Byakuya pops out of his gigai. I wonder which Soul Candy he'd use… (D-Tecno Life and Ichirin no Hana would be cool too.) **

~Unexpected Romance~

Hinata's POV

I sit behind the tree and watch him. Naruto-kun. His ray-of-sunshine hair, his wide grin… he's so cute. Naruto is so much better at everything than me… I sigh. A worthless girl like me could never catch his eye. Instead, he likes _that girl._ That…that _Sakura!_ I don't get it. Well, I suppose she is good at ninjutsu. And genjutsu. Even ok at taijutsu. And she's so much cuter than I am. I know its mean, but… I hate her.

Everything's been going pretty well so far. I mean, no one's noticed me. Not even Kakashi-sensei. He's telling Sakura something, probably having to do with their last mission, but she's not paying attention. Instead, she's _all over_ Uchiha-san. He's completely ignoring her, but she refuses to give up. Maybe if I were more like that, I could get Naruto's attention. But that's impossible.

I don't quite get what everyone likes about Uchiha-san so much. Yes, he's handsome, and an excellent shinobi, but he's so _cold._ He kind of scares me. All of a sudden, a leaf crunches underneath my weight. Am I really that fat?

Luckily, no one notices. At least so it seems. Oh no! Uchiha-san turns his head in my direction. He's smirking! He sees me! He shakes Sakura off of his arm and says something over his shoulder to her. He then says something to Kakashi-sensei and begins walking over here.

If I run now, everyone will see me, and I'll never live it down. So I stay. Maybe Uchiha-san's not so scary after all… Hopefully…

He walks past me and the tree, as if he doesn't noticed me, so that he's right behind me. He turns and crouches, and I find myself only two meters away from him. His eyes are alight with curiosity, the onyx brimming with amusement. His finely painted lips flirt with a smile.

My heart's fluttering with anxiety. What will he say? The lips part and I hear his voice, directed toward me, for what seems like the first time.

"You're the Hyuuga girl, aren't you?" his voice is silky, smooth, and it seems slightly mature for a thirteen-year-old. And it's so pretty. "Why are you watching us train? Again." My face grows hot. So he's always known! "Kakashi-sensei had been wondering who was always here…" he smirked. I swallowed.

"I-is that, is that what you told him…? Kakashi-sensei, I mean…?"

His laugh is unexpected, and it sends a shiver down my spine. It's so lovely, and yet it scares me. Why?

He smiles, actually _smiles_ and gazes into my eyes. I feel like he can see everything I'm thinking. "So you were watching me, eh?" I blush harder. He laughs again. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. No, I just told him I wanted to be alone for a while: it was too loud. I do that a lot, so he didn't ask any questions. That's all." He looks past me at his training teammates. "You came to watch Naruto, didn't you?" he focuses back on me.

I can't think of anything to say, except… "Am I that obvious?" he starts. He obviously didn't expect me to say a full sentence without stuttering. He stands up and moves closer to me. He plops himself down next to me and sighs. "Kind of."

Even though I know that my obviousness is just a tribute to my horrible skill, I can't help but laugh. Soon, Sasuke is laughing along with me. And soon after that, both of us are in a total fit of hysteria. We take one look at each other's faces and stop. Oops. No one was supposed to see that. Sasuke and I both had slipped up, shattered our masks to one another. Shattered the masks that no one was allowed to peer beneath. And yet there we were, acting like best friends.

Both of us sit for a while in what seems to me like an uncomfortable silence. I know that Sasuke is completely unfazed. He's almost always next to someone who looks awkward next to him, and he remains completely oblivious. I'm about to apologize, when he suddenly gets up.

"I have to get back, or Sensei will make me stay and practice alone."

"Oh." I say. I wish I could see his face.

As he begins to walk away, I wish I were him, going back to train with Naruto.

"Hey." He calls to me. He stares at me over his shoulder. "I can help you if you want. I mean, with getting Naruto to like you. If you want, that is." His mouth twitches into his infamous half-smile.

I can't believe it. He wants to help me get with Naruto!

"Y-yes, thank you! Thank you very much, Uchiha-san!" I'm in a complete trance. "Oh, thank you, thank you, and thank you! W-what do I have to do first?"

He fully turns to face me. "First, stop calling me 'Uchiha-san'. From now on, it's Sasuke. And second, meet me outside of the academy tomorrow when all of the classes are over for the day." He turns away. "Until then."

I watch until he reaches the training grounds, where he is immediately attacked by Sakura.

And so begins my mission to become the perfect girl.

I stand outside of Konoha's ninja training academy, watching the last of the students and teachers leaving the classes to go home. It's been awhile since I've been here, so I can't help but feel a little sentimental. I back up, planning to sit on the swing behind me. I sit down, and to my surprise, the seat doesn't feel like wood. It feels more like…

"Sorry I didn't say anything. Can you get off my lap?" I jump up and whirl around.

"U-Uchiha – I mean, Sasuke!" my face burns with embarrassment. I had been sitting on Sasuke's lap!

"All right, that's enough of that excitement for me, what about you?" he stands up and lightly brushes himself off. "Now, let's go."

I cock my head slightly to the side. "Go? G-go where?"

Sasuke looks me over slightly and then says, "This place was just so we could meet each other. I couldn't very well say 'come over to my house tomorrow'. I mean, I don't think you know where I live." He smiles-could you call it that?-and looks me in the eyes. "Of course, unless you're a stalker."

"Eh? I-I'm not a stalker!"

"If you're not, then stop sneaking around to watch Naruto! You have to be assertive. Otherwise, how is he supposed to even notice you?"

I knew it. This is not going to be easy.

"Ok, I'm gonna take you to my house now. But before we go, I need you to promise me one thing."

I hold my breath as I wait.

"You have to remember I'm not your friend. I'm not here for comfort; I'm not here for affection. I'm just helping you with this, understand?"

I nod slowly.

"Good. Now, I'll take you to my place, for the real lessons to begin."

For a while, Sasuke leads the way in silence until he stops at an apartment complex in a nice, quiet part of town. He takes me up the stairs until he stops at a door with a plaque next to it that says 'Uchiha Sasuke'. I look at the other plaques next to the other homes. 'Hirose Aki'. 'Honda'. 'Tsukamoto Ganju'. I couldn't see the other name plaques, but I couldn't help but think that it was cool that people living by themselves got plaques. 'Aki.' I think. 'Like autumn. What a pretty name. I wonder if she's pretty too. But, it's in katakana…'

Almost as if answering my thoughts, I see a beautiful woman come up the stairs, holding the hand of an equally attractive man. She has chestnut hair and a beautiful apricot complexion. The very face of beauty.

"You look like you've seen a _god_ or something, Hinata."

"Eeep! I-I'm sorry for zoning out like that Uchi- I mean, Sasuke! P-please forgive me!" I had forgotten he was there for a moment.

He looks in the direction in which I was staring and sees the door of Hirose Aki's apartment close.

"Ah, I see. Yes, that's Hirose-san. I had the same reaction when I first saw her a few years ago. She really is beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Gosh, I wish I could look like her. Then Naruto would notice me…"

Sasuke looks at me as if I'm crazy.

"You don't get it, do you? Every woman has inner beauty. But it's not just her face or figure that makes her beautiful. It's also the way she sees herself, the way that she carries herself. And, of course, her thoughts and actions."

The look on Sasuke's face tells me that he is absolutely serious about what he said. He means it and believes it. I wish that my conviction is at least half of what his is.

"Now," he says, turning to me. "I'm going to teach you how to carry yourself, and how to talk like a respectable person. Not a four-year-old that stutters every time she speaks. Now come in, it's kind of cold for autumn. Don't want you getting sick on me."

I smile and walk into his apartment. It is a nice place, with a good view of someone's garden from the large bay window facing directly opposite the door. He has a small coffee table and a few book cases filled to the brim with books and scrolls. He has a leather sofa, which stands out in the sparsely furnished living room. On one of the shelves is a picture of who I supposed was his family.

In the center of the photo is a smaller, happier Sasuke. On his left is a lovely, kind-looking woman, most likely his mother. Directly behind him stands a stately man, probably his father. The far right of the picture looks burned off. The entire family had been laughing when this was taken.

"…the bathroom is in my room, which is down the hall to the left. You can go in there. Just don't go into the room across from it. Got it?" Sasuke's voice catches me off guard. I flinch. He sighs.

"Were you even paying attention to me?"

"Uh…I…maybe?"

"Lying does not become you, Hinata."

I can't help but blush. I bow my head toward him. "I'm sorry." I whisper.

"That's alright. I mean, at least you didn't stutter when you apologized. It's a start, I suppose."

He turns and looks at the photograph of his family.

"You were looking at this, weren't you?"

I nod. "Yes. I'm sorry for being nosy." I clasp my hands together and bow. "Please forgive me."

"…don't bow so much."

"Huh? But, it's polite. It's courtesy when—"

"When you keep bowing for everything, you lower yourself. You have no dignity, do you?"

"I-" I don't know what to say. I've always been so submissive. I was raised that way by my father. He always taught me to be respectful. _Respectful_. And now Sasuke is telling me that I was lowering myself!

"I know that I'm receiving lessons from you, and I suppose I should listen, but this is the way I was raised, and if I wanted to change it I could do it myself without being told!"

The corners of his lips twitch upwards. "Good. So you can stand up for yourself after all."

I feel myself blush. That jerk! He was messing with me to see how I reacted. "Why does it matter to you so much? What's with your idea about a 'beautiful women'? Seriously."

Now it's his turn to blush. He rubs the back of his head and looks back at the picture sitting on his shelve. "My mother told me all of that." He picks up the picture. "I loved her."

For the next few months, I feel myself changing under Sasuke's watchful eyes. I can hold my head high for the first time. I don't stutter. And I somehow manage to strike up a conversation with Naruto. Suddenly boys are stopping in their tracks to watch me. Sasuke had me stop wearing my jacket. "You have to dress sexy, but not skanky. Look _hot_." I just had to laugh and point out how utterly _weird _that sounded coming from him. I've been trying pretty hard, and I guess its working.

I've also been training harder, trying to improve my shinobi skills. I've even asked Neji for help, which I think was an unnecessary ego boost on his behalf. Ino and Sakura have been looking at me as if they had never seen me before. I can tell they're intimidated by me now.

With all of this new-found confidence 'anything can happen!' I think as I walk down the street towards Sasuke's house. It's such a beautiful December 22nd. Tomorrow is the day before Christmas Eve, and I won't be able to go over then. I hold the present I got for Sasuke in my pocket. It's this watch I thought he'd like, since its nothing too much, but it's not too cheap either.

"Hinata-chan!" I whip around and see Naruto-kun, running towards me, face flushed. He looks so innocent and cute.

He catches up to me and stops. _Hah, hah_ He bends over, trying to catch his breath. He tilts his head upwards to face me and chuckles. "Alright! Um, Hinata-chan, I wanted to ask you something."

I can't believe it. Naruto-kun is talking to me. He wants to ask me something. I must be dreaming. Seriously.

"You can ask me anything. What is it?"

"Er…well…" he shuffles from foot to foot and looks at the ground. He seems nervous. I can't help but think how funny it is, with our roles reversed. Him stuttering, I calm, waiting for him to finish a sentence.

"Hinata-chan, will…will you go out with me?"

…what?

I stand frozen to the spot. Did he really just…ask me out?

"H-Hinata-chan, um, if you don't want to go out with me, you can just say no…"

"NO! I-I-I mean yes! I mean, no, I don't want to not go out with you because I do it's just that I said no cause you said if I didn't but I do because I really like you and—and—and—!" My head's spinning and I feel like a complete idiot, but I'm so happy. Naruto-kun asked me out! I feel so happy I might just cry.

"So, you'll go out with me after all, Hinata-chan, ne?" Naruto's face is so closed that I blush. 'Maybe you're not ready for this' a little voice in my head says to me. But I feel ready. I feel like I can be the kind of girl that Naruto will at least like, and if it doesn't work out now, I can always try again later, right?

"Of course I'll go out with you, Naruto-kun. Um, to tell you the truth, I've really like you for a while now, so…"

Naruto's eyes opened wider. "Really, Hina-chan?" He's already calling me by a nickname? Swoon "That's great!" Before I can do anything, he seizes me in a strong embrace and kisses my cheek. "I've liked you for a while, too. I'm just so happy that you said yes! No one _ever_ said yes before! I'm so happy that you like me back!"

I can't _believe_ that I'm getting a _frontal_ hug from Naruto-kun, the love of my life. But, at the same time, something doesn't feel all that right. Before, I would have _died_ for this boy, but now, as he's hugging me, I don't feel that strongly for him. I still really like him, but now, I think, is this really love? Or just a crush?

"Hina-chan, Hina-chan, let's go get some ramen, dattebayo! Since I asked you, I'll pay." He lets go of me, grabs my hand, and drags me to Ichiraku before I can even get a word out of my mouth.

"Here we are, Hinata-chan, I~chi~ra~ku~ ra~~men!" he draws out the last two words almost like he's singing them. After we order, Naruto looks at me, frowning.

"Um, Hinata-chan, is it cool that I asked you out? What I mean is, is it alright?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" I ask. "Of course it was ok. Why do you ask?"

He looks at the girl taking orders from some people who had just walked in. "Well, you see, everyone knows how you and Sasuke-teme have been hanging out and all, so everyone thinks you guys are—" he sticks his pinky out—"—you know. I didn't think so, though. No way that jerk would treat a pretty girl like you we—ah! Itadakimasu!" The arrival of the ramen cut him off from saying anything else. "Anyway, never mind what I said. Eat, eat, Hinata-chan, go ahead!" As soon as he says this, he grabs a pair of chopsticks and begins to wolf down his ramen.

I gingerly take a pair of chopsticks and give thanks for the food. I hesitate, and then I clutch the watch in my pocket. I take it out and hold it out towards Naruto. "This is for you. Happy Christmas."

When I go over to Sasuke's house the next day at 4 o'clock, December 23rd, he doesn't open the door.

"Sasuke-kun, are you there?" I call. "Sasuke-kun?"

"He hasn't come home since yesterday. He usually doesn't leave home until tomorrow, the 24th."

I turn around abruptly, and find myself staring at his neighbor, Hirose Aki-san. Her voice is soft and sweet, almost nonchalant, but there's a bit of a worried edge to it.

"He told me to watch for a pretty girl with violet hair and tell her that he didn't…" My heart skips a beat. Sasuke had called me pretty. "…that he didn't want her to come over anymore, and that if she sees him, she shouldn't say hi to him. And then he said to me that he was going out and would come back at noon, but…" She glances nervously at the sky. I look up too, and see that it will be dark soon. It is winter now, after all.

I think about when I first talked to Sasuke, in early fall, when I was so frightened of him. The part of the forest where he was training had always met autumn before the rest of Konoha. If it weren't for that fact, we would have never talked that day. I would still be spying on Naruto, but now I was with him. All because we met that fall.

I suddenly realize why I had felt so strange when Naruto had hugged me. Because I don't like him anymore. I like Sasuke. But he was going to stop giving me lessons because he had already finished his end of the deal: Naruto and I are together now. And I have to keep my end. But I can't. I want him to be there for me. To be _more_ than a friend to me.

And yet I had given his watch to Naruto. I'm such a jerk.

"… _I'm not your friend. I'm not here for comfort; I'm not here for affection. I'm just helping you with this, understand?"_

But who was I to even try and get him a present? He isn't here for affection. He isn't my friend. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Not here for affection. "…Hirose-san."

"Hm?"

"Do you have any ideas where he could be?"

She shakes her head sadly. "I don't think so…oh! No, wait, there is one place. He might be at the old Uchiha quarters. He goes there occasionally. Especially on New Years and today, Christmas Eve. _Especially_ Christmas Eve."

I give her a lost kind of look.

"You see, since he usually spends Christmas alone, he goes on Christmas Eve to pay his respects to his family. Stupid boy. Stood out front of the place without even a scarf! Just that light jacket he has…" She shakes her head. "It's a good thing Saku-chan saw him when he did, otherwise Sasuke would've turned into a Popsicle!"

"Saku-chan?" I ask.

"Oh, Saku-chan is my boyfriend. His real name is Matsumoto Sakutaro."

"Hm. You sure know a lot about Sasuke." I say.

"I suppose I know a lot more than most people. He's been living next to me since he was ten. I always come over to make sure he's doing well, but in all honesty, I don't really think he likes it." She giggles, like a little girl. Can I do something like that, I wonder? "_You_ on the other hand; he always looks so eager when he greets you. I know he probably doesn't look that way to you at all, but his eyes light up the moment you're even mentioned. I've never seen him so happy. Did something happen between the two of you?" she stares at me, the innocent question weighing down the atmosphere.

_Did something happen between the two of you?_ No, nothing happened between the two of us. Ever. He had been bored; I had been desperate to be seen by Naruto. That's why he was mentoring me. He was sick of the way I acted. But in my oblivious selfishness, had I ignored something important that could've happened between us? Had we ever had a chance?

"Hirose-san, what's one of Sasuke's most favorite things?"

"One of his most favorite things?" I can tell that she's surprised about my sudden change in topic. I guess that question is kind of out of the left field. Nonetheless, she lightly taps her chin with her index finger, thinking. "Well, he likes tomatoes."

"Tomatoes?" Seriously?

"They're his favorite food." Seriously.

"I see…" I begin to walk towards the stairs. Then I turn and bow to the woman still standing in the very spot I had left her. "Thank you very much!

"I'll find him!" I call once I hit the bottom of the staircase. "And you can bet I'll say hi to him, whether he likes it or not!"

That being said, I run off into the setting sun, and feel a snowflake hit my cheek. 'I'll find him.' I think to myself. 'But first, I need to get him something to make up for the watch…'

"D-do you sell tomatoes?" I ask an employee at the market.

"We usually do, but they're out of season. So there aren't any. Can I show you the produce aisle?" The employee is a somewhat uninterested-looking young man, probably 18 or 20, with a sleepy look on his face and white, curly hair. His nametag says: 'Hi, I'm' at the top. Underneath it in kind of careless writing it says 'Gintoki'.

"What're you looking at, kid? My hair's a natural perm, so stop staring. Kids these days…" he musses his already wild hair. "Look, we have ketchup, how's that?"

"It'll do." I answer breathlessly. "Where are the condiments?"

"Condiments? Sure, I'll bet you wanna know, but you look awfully…aw, hell, as long as taichou doesn't know…" he trails off. "Well, c'mon kid."

"Th-thanks." I'm still trying to catch my breath from running all the way over here from Sasuke's. It's the closest market to the Uchiha compound there is, so it's pretty far from his house. Almost two miles.

"Here we are." The man says. I'm about to thank him when I realize where he had taken me.

"I believe I said _condiments_. NOT _condoms_. _Condiments_!" I can feel the color in my face rise.

"Huh, yeah, well then you should have said that instead of condoms. Geez, kids these days, being all like that when they're not even old enough for _sekihan_…"

"Shut up. It's none of your business about red rice, you jerk! I've gotta get some ketchup." I run off hearing the guy still talking. "Well, maybe it is better that you haven't made sekihan to do that kinda stuff…but then you're just a kid, so…"

I fly right past the condiments, so I have to double back to get the ketchup. When I get to the checkout, the checkout girl is cracking her gum. After a while, I finally get her attention and pay for the ketchup. I was seriously on the verge of just running off with the stuff, but thank God she finally notices me, and as I run, bag in hand, I marvel at the fact that the store was even open at all today. Most stores start cutting back on their hours, but I guess it was just a stroke of luck that the place wasn't closed.

Approaching the Uchiha compound, I can't help but slow down. It's so strange, but I swear I can feel something about this place that's proof its more than just a bunch of abandoned buildings. This place used to be a home for people. For Sasuke.

I walk quietly through the streets, looking up and down them for any sign of physical disturbance, a sign that Sasuke might have come in this direction. Finally, I come to an area that's cleared, with a somewhat long pier going out into a frozen river. At the end of the pier, I see him. He's nodding off, sitting there with his legs dangling over the edge.

Quietly, I walk towards him and stop when I'm directly behind him. I take off my scarf and lightly drape it around his neck. He starts and immediately turns his head around. His eyes widen slightly, and his cheeks flush slightly. "Hinata…" his expression turns cool now, and slightly tired. "Why'd you come out here?"

My face burns and I thrust the bag into his face. I point my face downward so that he can't see how winded I am. "M-merry Christmas." I mumble.

He stands up and takes the bag tenderly from my hands. He reaches in and takes out the bottle of ketchup, looking it over slightly. He clutches it to his body with his left arm, and reaches out to me with his right. He puts his hand on the back of my head and pulls me into him, into something like a hug.

"Thank you." Even though it's only us two here, he whispers it into my ear.

I feel his warm, sweet breath wash tickle my ear, and am instantly light-headed. This feeling, could it be…? I mean, I do like him…

"Come on, I didn't realize how cold or late it was getting." I can feel regret crashing over me when he pulls away. "I have something for you, too. Let's go to my house."

New Year's Eve

I stand outside of the house of Hatake Kakashi and I can't help but feel pretty odd. It's a surprisingly well-kept home of Western design, and it looks kind of big, and therefore very intimidating. I mean, Kakashi-sensei's house is _well-kept_! That's reason enough to be scary.

The reason I'm standing here is because there's a New Year's party going on tonight, and I was invited by Naruto-kun. Apparently, Sakura somehow got the stoic sensei to throw a party here, and everyone coming was invited by Cell 7. And Kakashi-sensei. He kind of seems to have a bit of a weakness for Sakura-san, especially when she hugs him. It's actually really funny. She hugs him and his eye widens and his ears get red and _everything_.

Anyway, I go in through the doors—which despite their thickness, even from outside you can hear the music blaring—and take a look around. It's crazy, I mean, there are people everywhere you look. In one corner, Sakura's totally glomping Kakashi-sensei and squealing over something. I can't help but notice the almost predatory way he's looking at her.

"Lolita complex." a voice answers my thoughts.

I turn around, and standing there in the dim, multi-colored light, is Sasuke-kun. I haven't seen him since December, when he took me back to his house to give me my present. It was this cute bunny doll. It is on top of my dresser, presently. Anyway, I wound up spending the night at his house—a _boy's_ house, _his_ house—because of a sudden snowstorm. I didn't even know it could snow that hard in Konoha.

"I swear, that guy's got a freaking Lolita complex." His voice penetrates my thoughts of how we had shared the same bed, because neither of us would let the other sleep on the sofa or the floor.

"D-does he, now?"

"You're stuttering again."

"Sorry."

"Whatever. I don't really care. I mean, you've finally got what you wanted, so it's not like I care. It's no longer my business."

My heart jumps and my face grows warm. I can't believe he's saying this. '_I'm just helping you with this, understand?'_ echoes in my mind. So he really doesn't care.

"Um…Sasuke…" I look up at his face and notice his eyes are averted from my mine. When he was teaching me, he always looked into my eyes and gave me a soft smile when our eyes met. And now, he's not even looking at me. I feel so sad and tears form in the corners of my eyes. I feel like a stupid little kid, crying. But, why is he so distant suddenly?

"Are you ok, Hinata?" he extends a hand and brushes a wisp of hair behind my ear. His touch feels electric, and I want him to do more, want to feel his hands everywhere… I slap myself in the face and receive a strange look from Sasuke. I can't be thinking things like that! We were

_(i'm not your friend)_

only friends, really good friends. Right? And good friends don't…don't…

"God, Sakura, get the f*ck off of me." Wait, did Sasuke just say that? I snap out my trance and glance upwards, only to notice Sakura standing about a meter behind Sasuke, looking very much like she was just slapped in the face. I know that Sasuke can't stand it when Sakura gets all annoying (no one can), but he's never said anything as mean as _that_.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, I'm going to go and talk to Naru-chan; at least _he'll_ let me hug him!" I know that that statement is directed at both Sasuke and I, but I don't really care. I can't. Naruto and I have been going out for a while, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't be in love with him anymore. And I don't really know why.

Sasuke and I stand frozen and stare after her, storming away angrily. Sasuke turns to me and runs his hair through his silky bangs.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine."

"…"

"Um, gosh, it's already 10 o'clock! Crazy, huh?" My feeble attempt to make conversation seems to lighten the mood between the two of us.

"Yeah. Crazy." His eyes never leave mine as he smiles the smile that makes my stomach do flips and my heart beat like a drum. He's so pretty.

"Hinata, do I have something on my face? 'Cause you've been staring for a while."

"Ah! No, you don't I just—just—just—" just can't think of an excuse. My mind has gone completely blank—definitely not the first time tonight. Sasuke chuckles, and again I marvel at how his voice seems so mature for a thirteen-year-old. I don't know, but his laugh—would that be a laugh?—seems to be the best thing in the world right now.

Sasuke looks out onto the dance floor, ignoring me, watching all of the people. He suddenly turns to me with this almost comically excited face. He looks so cute!

"Hey, Hinata, you want to dance? It'd be cool if I danced with you, right? What do you say, huh?"

I think that my eyes have got to be as big as dinner plates. I just can't believe that Sasuke is asking me to dance with him. And this isn't, like, waltzing or something. This is, like, social dancing that you do at a dance, you know?

Plus, this just didn't seem like Sasuke at all. I've never heard his voice so excited, never heard his speech pattern so…

The moment is over. The spark in his eyes dies and I know I missed what could've been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Oh, and I did want to dance with Sasuke!

"Never mind. Forget it."

We stand in silence, watching all of the people. I don't even think I know half of them. I recognize some; Ten-ten, Kiba, Lee, Iruka-sensei… and others I didn't even know existed—handsome men and gorgeous women, average people, kids our age, just about everyone.

"Uh…" I start after about ten oh-so-agonizing minutes.

"…"

Never mind. This conversation is already dead. The two of us stand there quietly, never looking at each other directly, but never taking our eyes off each other. I watch Sasuke's gorgeous face, lips parted so slightly, lights gently shadowing his pastel face pink, blue, red, green, pink, blue, red, green… his long lashes paint shadows on his cheeks.

The heat in the house is suffocating. Couldn't they leave the doors open, or something? This was a _house_, there was air conditioner! Stupid cheap Kakashi!

I can feel my hair starting to cling to the back of my neck and my jacket sticking to my back. Ugh. I feel so nasty.

A drop of sweat rolls down Sasuke's neck. He tugs lightly at his shirt collar. I remember my jacket. I begin to take it off. I had worn it because it was near freezing outside—after all, it is January. It would probably snow by the time this party was over, which was sometime around one in the morning. I still can't believe my father let me come out here.

Anyway, I look around for a place to put my jacket. I can't carry it around for the rest of the party. I had to look—oh yeah. I don't have to look cute or hot anymore. I have Naruto already. So why do I remember Sasuke's voice tickling my ear, telling me how to behave, how to carry myself, everything? Why do I miss that sensation so much? I can't like him _that_ much.

Even though he and I are supposed to be ignoring each other, it's not working. He turns to me and reaches for my coat.

"Here. I'll take that for you."

I know my face is red, I can feel it, but the strobe lights are pink right now; he can't tell. As the light turns blue, I see his kind smile, the one he barely ever uses. I probably look purple.

"Um, I can take it myself…"

"No, a gentleman would never allow it. Besides, I can't leave such a lovely lady looking so stupid."

The urge to slap him is pushed—painfully—to the back of my mind. I'll get you yet, Uchiha. Just you wait.

But at the same time, I just can't believe that he had called me _lovely_. Yes, he was just messing around, but _still_. That boy will be the end of some decent woman. He's so… I can't even describe it. But hearing him say _lovely_ made me tingle with delight. God, what his groupies wouldn't give to hear those words directed towards them.

Yes, this boy…is perfectly—

"HIIIIINAAATAAAA-CHIYAAAAAAN!"

Only one person in the world would call me that.

Before I can even turn around, I'm hit with the full force of a raging whirlwind known to mankind as Uzumaki Naruto.

Landing—THUD!—on the ground, Naruto on top of me, I let out a shriek of surprise. No one besides Sasuke, Naruto, and me notices.

"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan, where did you go, nyu~?"

Sasuke looks on with an expression of disgust on his face. Naruto catches sight of this and glowers at him.

"What's wrong, bastard?"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

"Nothing. You're just sitting on your girlfriend." Naruto looks down, sees me, and jumps up. "I'll just take this for you then," Sasuke calls over his shoulder as he walks away, "Hinata-_chan_."

**If anyone wants to know what happens next, or read the rest of it, let me know! Comment! Thank you for reading thus far anyway! Let's meet again soon.**


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